Author: Virginia Martin
Stacy Lee George, Governor, Republican
Lew Burdette, Governor, Republican
Lindy Blanchard, Governor, Republican
JeffCo Probate Judge: Tightened Security Will Delay Voting Returns in the Primaries
UPDATED — Jefferson County’s chief election official is warning that a new voting security measure will delay returns from the May 24 primary elections.
Probate Judge James Naftel said Friday that county officials have worked with Secretary of State officials to find a way to expedite returns.
At issue is a new security measure imposed by Secretary of State John Merrill that moves all precinct returns to central computers provided by his office. These two computers cannot be connected to a network and therefore cannot communicate with each other, so there will not be any results released until all precincts have reported and all results are in, Naftel said. Read more.
JeffCo Commission OKs Store Near New Hospital in McCalla; President Says It’s a Bad Call
Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens said that someday a future panel of commissioners will say an action taken by the commission Thursday was shortsighted.
Stephens cast the one nay vote to a request to rezone property in McCalla from agricultural to commercial to accommodate a convenience store with a gas station and deli. The property, at 4476 Bell Hill Road, next to the UAB West Hospital that’s currently under construction.
The current land use plan for that area is rural. Stephens said the immediate future should have been weighed more heavily. Read more.
As More Dilapidated Structures Are Demolished, Jefferson Commissioners Discuss Ways to Redevelop the Properties
During its committee meeting Tuesday, the Jefferson County Commission applauded the demolition of public nuisance properties but expressed concern for blight that could follow.
Mike Thomas, building inspection services manager with the county’s Department of Developmental Services, presented a resolution for about 30 nuisance properties to be torn down. County Manager Cal Markert commended Thomas, who has 17 demolitions under bid already and another 30 in line.
“That’ll be 77 within 24 months,” Markert said, “so I’m superexcited.”
Said Thomas: “We’ve always been reactive, looking at when we have complaints. Now we’ve had the opportunity to go proactive and try to clean up some communities and make things better for the people who live there.
“What we want to do is make an impact. We don’t want to do one house here and one house there.” Read more.
Birmingham Sets Out Rules to Promote Historical Building Redevelopment
Birmingham has changed its zoning ordinance to encourage the reuse of historical structures throughout the city.
The changes, which were approved Tuesday by the City Council, will provide “incentives and exceptions that are intended to foster the reuse of historical properties and further the goal of maintaining historical character within the city,” said Chief Planner Tim Gambrel.
This will promote the conversion of “older, economically distressed, historically significant buildings” into apartments, live-work units or mixed-use developments while excepting them from zoning requirements that would require significant structural changes. Read more.
Birmingham Targets Motels Over Illegal Activity and Blight
Since the fall, Birmingham city officials have sued or taken other measures to shut down the businesses. Read more.
Crenshaw Named Communicator of Achievement, Received Awards for 7 Stories
BirminghamWatch contributor Solomon Crenshaw Jr. has been named Communicator of Achievement of Alabama Media Professionals.
That distinction puts Crenshaw in the running for the national Communicator of the Achievement of the National Federation of Press Women, the parent organization of AMP.
Additionally, seven of Crenshaw’s works from 2021 were recognized in AMP’s communications contest. Read more.
Judge Hears Testimony in Challenge to Alabama’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care
A group of parents and doctors want the judge to stop the law from going into effect while a lawsuit continues. Read more.
